Signal device.



W. W. STEFFY & H. B. STECKEL.

SIGNAL DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4. 1915.

Patented May 29, 1917.

8 R o E V/ N 4 I I I I WITNESSES ATTOR N EY UNITED STATES PATENT oEEICE.

WILLIS W. STEFFY, 0F KU'IZTOWN, AND HORACE B. S'IEGKEL, OF SLATINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

SIGNAL DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WnJLIs W. STEFFY and HORACE B. STECKEL, citizens of the United States, residing at Kutzto'wn and Slatington, respectively, in the counties of Berks and Lehigh and State of lF'enns lvania, have invented certain new and use ul Improvements in Signal Devices, of which the following isa Specification.

An object of our invention is to provide a signal device which may be attached to the front or rear of a vehicle to be set in motion by the operator to indicate to parties approaching either from front or drawing up from the rear, the course which the vehicle will take.

A further object is to so construct the parts that the operation of the device is rought about by electromagnetic means which might derive its current from the usual storage batteries used in motor vehi-- cles,. or from any other suitable source and also to provide connections in a circuit leading to the source of energization and positioned to illuminate the indicating means so that the signal may be used during night operation of the vehicle.

With these and other objects in view, our invention consists in certain novel features of. construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter set forth in con nection with the drawings and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fi re 1 is a view in front elevation of the signal device with parts shown in section to more clearly illustrate the operative construction.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken centrally through the structure disclosed in Fig. 1.

Fi 3 shows in schematic form a circuit whic might be connected to cause operation of the signal device.

Fi 4 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

A supporting disk 1 has the vertically and transversely disposed spokes 2 and 3 formed as a part thereof with a bearing 4 at the radiating center of the spokes. This disk 1 preferably has the flanges or rims 5 and 6 extendingforwardly from the face thereof to provide a sunken portion in which any desired'letteri n may be cast, enameled or otherwise place such as for instance advertising matter, or left and right, at

points adjacent the positioning of the indieating member whengswung to the one position or the other.

An indicating arrow 7 has a hollow shank 0 8 and this shank 8 is received in the bearing 4 to be capable of free turningmovement and to be held therein by a cotter pin 9 'or other suitable securing means, passing through the spindle. The indicating arrow as hasa counterweight 10 provided beyondthe spindle 8 to permit more ready movement of the arrow in its swinging path, but it is the intention that the indicating end thereof shall be heavier than the counterweight armatures 15 and lfi-are secured in a rel'a-BO tion to be within the lines of force from said magnets as the same may be energized and as the arrow may be swung, to come against the core of the magnet to hold the arrow in either position indicated by the dotted lines of Fig. 1.

Circuit wires 17 and 18 are connected with the magnet 13 and the magnet 14 is connected in a circuit comprising the wires 19 and 20, it being preferable that the wires 18 and 20 be joined in a single wire to be connected with the storage cellv 21 or any other suitable source of electrical energy, this single wire from the battery being continued and connected with a two-way switch 22 which has the wires 17 and 19 led to the terminals 23 and 24. g

A lamp socket 25 is provided in the opening of the hollow spindle 8 and a lamp bulb 26 having a reflector 27 on the outer portion thereof is screwed into the socket to illuminate the signaling device to permit the use of the same when the vehicle is operated at night. In the present disclosure-we have illustrated the circuit wires 28 and 29 from the socket 25 as independent of the circuit comprising-the wires 17, 19 and 20, although it will be understood that changes practically without number might be resorted to V in the manner of connecting the wiring to operate thedevice, as such connection and operation is optional with the user. Further, the lamp bulb might have the end 27 thereof formed to show red when viewed from the rear and to reflect the rays of light through the sides of the bulb and to the arrow and the disk, thus making it possible to dispense with the usual tail lamp.

In the use of the device, the disk 1 may be connected either on the forward structure of the vehicle or upon the rear, or disks might be placed on both the forward and rear portions of the vehicle to indicate to parties met and to those following the vehicle, the direction in which the operator contemplates causing the vehicle to travel, and thus as the switch 22 is thrown to engage with the one contact or the other,-ei-ther the magnet 13 or 14, in accordance withthe direction to be indicated, will be energized and the arrow will be swung to the position indicated by the dotted lines. As the switch is released from the contacts, the active magnetis deenergized and the indicating arrow again falls by gravity to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1. Where two of the devices are used on the same-vehicle, it will be understood that both devices can. be connected in the same circuit and that the throwing of a single switch will thus cause operative movement of the indicating arrows on both devices.

While we have shown and described a single form of the device, it will be understood that various modifications in the form and arrangement of the parts, in the circuit connection, and in the circuit closing means might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention and hence we do not wish to be limited except to such points as may be set forth in the claims.

We claim:

1. A signal device including a supporting disk having transversely extending spokes radiating from a central bearing, an indicating arrow having a bearing shank formed thereon at a point away from the head end and shaped to be received in the central bearing in a relation that the arrow normally swings by gravity to point to a neutral indication, magnets mounted on the transversely extending spokes, armatures carried by the arrow on the sides thereof, and a circuit in which the magnets are connected provided with a switch to be manually shifted to connect said magnets selectively in the circuit to be energized.

2. A signal device including a supporting disk made in the form of a ring having a plurality of spokes radiating from a central bearing opening and with two .of said spokes extending horizontally from the bearing opening, an indicating arrow having a head .at one end thereof provided with a shank adjacent the opposite end shaped to be re- I ceived in the central bearing opening and to thus mount the indicating arrow in a relation that it is normally swung by gravity to point to a' neutral indication, electromagnets mounted on the transversely extending spokes with the faces of the cores thereof disposed in planes taken radially through the central bearing, a pair of armatures independently mounted to be disposed on opposite sides of the arrow and shaped at their contacting faces to lie in planes taken radially from the central bearing, and a circuit connected with said magnets by which the same may be energized;

v 3. A signal device including a supporting disk made in the form of a ring having a lurality of spokes radiating from a central earing opening and with two of said spokes extending horizontally from the bearing opening, an indicating arrow having a head at one end thereof provided with a shank adjacent the opposite end shaped to be received in the central bearing opening and to thus mount the indicating'arrow in a relation that it is normally swung by gravity to point, to a neutral indication, electromagnets mounted on the transversely extending spokes with the faces of the cores thereof disposed in planes taken radially through the central bearing, a pair ofarmatures independently mounted to be disposed on opposite sides of the arrow and shaped at their contacting faces to lie in planes'taken radially from the central bearing, said indicating arrow being provided with a counter balance weight beyond the location of the bearing shank, circuit connections leading from a source of electrical energy to said magnets, and a switch within the control of the operator to be moved to energize said magnets selectively to cause the arrow to be swung to indicating positions.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses. 1

WILLIS W. STEFFY. HORACE B. STECKEL. 

